Astros hit gran slam with Latino market

Mexico City trip helps cultivate new fans

JOSE DE JESUS ORTIZ, Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

Published 5:30 am, Tuesday, March 16, 2004

MEXICO CITY -- Standing only a squeeze bunt away from the Astros' dugout at Estadio Foro Sol, Houston Councilwoman Carol Alvarado shouted encouragement Sunday. Although she is more accomplished and refined now, a glimpse of Alvarado pumping her fists made it easy to envision her cheering for Jose Cruz at the Astrodome in the 1970s.

Frank and Ida Alvarado's kid has come a long way, literally and figuratively, but the most powerful Latina in the mayor's office still cherishes her memories of cheering "Cruuuuuuzzzzzzzzz!" at the Dome.

Alvarado is an example of what the Astros can do to further cement their hold on Houston's largest ethnic market. The Astros captured Alvarado's heart early, and she remains loyal.

"My parents have always watched baseball," she says. "We'd watch it at home, on TV. They'd watch all the games on TV or go to the games. ... In the United States, the Mexican community follows baseball. We go to the games. If you look at who's at the games, the majority of the people come from our community."

Already 37 percent of the Houston population and growing, the Latino market, mainly of Mexican descent, is tempting to the Astros and all of baseball. For that reason, Astros owner Drayton McLane chartered a plane to Mexico City with Houston Latino business and political leaders for the Serie de Primavera against the Marlins this weekend.

Astros vice president of market development Rosi Hernandez and president of business operations Pam Gardner chose the travel party for the franchise's first trip to Mexico City.

"A lot of franchises say, `We're going to have a relationship with the community.' That's not the trick," said Alex Lopez Negrete of Lopez Negrete Communications. "You have to take the game to the people. You have to take these players to the community, and you have to establish a relationship because one of the key things that you need to understand about Latino consumers is that we have relationships with brands. We believe in reciprocity.

"So when you start really engaging the process of reciprocity, then the doors really open wide. They spring right open for you. How do you do that? You do that with having relationships with players. You do that by broadcasting. Broadcasting is hugely important -- very, very important. And (Spanish radio broadcasting is) a thing the Astros have done well for a number of years."

Alvarado and Massey Villarreal, chairman of Gov. Rick Perry's economic development task force, were the highest-ranking public servants on the trip. The business leaders were from Lopez Negrete Communications, Banco Popular, Bank of America, Laredo National Bank, Univision television and radio, Miller Brewing Co. and Arandas Franchises.

"It's a huge market for us," Gardner said of the Latino community. "As you know, it's a huge market for everybody in Houston. ... We try to find out what the trends are, what's happening, and most of these folks have helped in that capacity in the Hispanic community."

Fernandomania revisited

In baseball, there is no simple answer for tapping the Mexican-American market. The one exception would be to find the next Fernando Valenzuela, the portly Mexican lefthander who turned the baseball world inside out during his Cy Young Award/Rookie of the Year season with the Dodgers in 1981.

Fernandomania debunked the myth that Mexicans and Mexican-Americans couldn't support baseball. Given a chance to cheer one of their own, Mexicans proved to be as passionate as Americans, Dominicans, Venezuelans, Puerto Ricans and Cubans about the game.

Valenzuela accomplished for the Dodgers in 1981 what a Hall of Famer such as Nolan Ryan couldn't for the Astros a year earlier.

"When we signed Nolan Ryan for the 1980 season, as popular as he is and as great a pitcher as he was, he ranked fourth in average draw for our starting pitchers that year," Astros president of baseball operations Tal Smith said. "That's because fans make their decisions to attend a game on the weather, the visiting club, the day of the week, how the club is doing, how the opposing club is doing and so on. Fernando was the only one who was different."

During the salary arbitration process, Smith has prepared and heard arguments about whether pitchers have any dramatic effecton attendance.

"You can pretty much demonstrate that they don't because of what I just said and promotions," Smith said. "Obviously, if a pitcher is pitching Friday night and it's cap night, he's going to draw more than somebody that's pitching on Monday night with no promotions."

Growing Latino face

As Alvarado's childhood fascination with the Puerto Rican Cruz shows, Mexican-American fans can be drawn to the stadium without a Mexican face on the team. The growing Latino face of baseball is a solid hook for fans of Latin American descent. And in that regard, Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker has succeeded. Two of his top players are Venezuelan right fielder Richard Hidalgo and Dominican closer Octavio Dotel.

"I think our community identifies that while it might not be Mexican, they are still part of the community," Alvarado said. "We want to go and support our Latino players."

More importantly for the Astros, they have had a superstar such as Jeff Bagwell on the club for more than a decade. Roger Clemens' accomplishments also translate well into Spanish, as was evident by the ovations he received on Saturday in Mexico City.

Although Alvarado's childhood baseball hero was Cruz, she now cheers for Bagwell, who also is her nephew's favorite player.

"I think that the potential is there to do more outreach," Alvarado says. "I think the Astros do a great job because during Hispanic heritage month, they have a weekend that's dedicated to the Hispanic community. Their games are on radio in Spanish. If you look at the staff, they have somebody that focuses on Hispanic outreach."

A powerful message

The trip to Mexico City also sent a powerful message to the Mexican community, according to Lopez Negrete. Lopez Negrete Communications, which has worked with the Aeros, helped form the Rockets' marketing strategy toward Latinos from 1985 until the 1994-95 season. Lopez Negrete, who was born in Houston and raised in Mexico City, also has counseled the Astros on the Latino market.

"When you market to Latinos -- let's take sports for example -- you don't just market to them," he says. "You don't just say, `Buy my tickets.' What you do is, you take the game closer to the folks, you make it an excitement, you make it an invitation. Also, having international trips like this also takes it more home (and) takes it to where we came from.

"It goes home not just geographically but also goes to the heart. The fact that the team is willing to come to Mexico City and play some games and bring Latino representation speaks volumes."

Astros summary

Welcome respite

The Astros took their only scheduled day off from spring training Monday, and it could not have come at a better time for a squad that had quite a bit of traveling since Friday.

"Coming off a wasted weekend, it's big," Jeff Kent said of the day off after the two-game set against the Marlins in Mexico City.

After playing an exhibition Friday night against the Yankees at Legends Field in Tampa, Fla., which is a two-hour bus trip away from Kissimmee, the Astros didn't get to bed until 1 a.m. Saturday.

They were back on the team buses seven hours later headed to the airport, where they boarded a flight to Mexico City for the 5:05 p.m. game against the Marlins. The Astros flew back after Sunday afternoon's game. They'll travel 108 miles to play the Mets today in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Instead of driving back to Kissimmee tonight, they will stay overnight in Fort Lauderdale to play the Orioles on Wednesday afternoon. After playing the Orioles, the Astros will have a four-hour bus trip back home.

"It's good," manager Jimy Williams said. "It's on the schedule, and we'll certainly take it with what we've had here the last couple of days and what we have after the day off. It gives us a chance to recharge the batteries, as they say."

Other than pitchers Roy Oswalt, Andy Pettitte, Jeriome Robertson and Brandon Duckworth, who were excused from the Mexico series because they weren't scheduled to throw, Craig Biggio was the only Astro who skipped the trip, which he did for "personal reasons."

Odds and ends

Roy Oswalt will start today against the Mets at Tradition Field. ... Hall of Fame broadcaster Milo Hamilton, who tumbled on his left side while climbing down the stairs at Estadio Foro Sol on Saturday night, has a bruised left knee and left ankle.